“Transport Hurricane, this is Coordination Platform OS-1 – control of your craft will be returned in ten seconds.”
“Understood, OS-1,” Urle replied. His hands were already on the controls.
Within a system, near inhabited stations, little was left to chance. Coordination platforms remotely piloted each ship, keeping them in lanes and moving in such a way as to minimize – as much as possible – the chance of catastrophe. There was just too much danger letting even the most experienced human pilots control a ship.
Even once he regained control, very little human input was needed. But among the small group on the transport, he was by far the most qualified – the augments in his hands allowed him to interface directly with the ship’s computer, rather than having to rely on things as crude as control sticks.
The ship shuddered as the Coordination Platform relinquished control, and Urle directed the ship to head towards the aperture.
“What is this Begonia System like?” Kell asked.
Urle turned as much as he could to look back. “You volunteered to come and yet you don’t even know anything about our destination?” he asked.
“The details were unimportant,” Kell replied. “The location is not on an unmoving ship, which makes it preferable.”
Urle did not want to say it, but he was annoyed that the Ambassador had simply inserted himself onto the bridge. He had not asked, but simply had come in. Just like how he had invited himself on the excursion.
The rest of those along for the ride had the good sense not to be cluttering the small bridge. It was cramped with four, and Kell himself, despite his form being average in size, still felt like he took up more than that.
And weirdest of all, the Shoggoth didn’t even strap down like a normal person. The Hurricane was far too small to create its own gravity, and if you wanted to stay in your seat you had to use straps.
But not Kell. He just sat on his seat and stayed there.
“Well, we’re just moving to the zerogate and going through. Not much to see from here,” Urle said, hoping Kell would take the hint.
The Shoggoth did not seem to take anything, staring at the monitors. “The ships I have been on so far have not needed to use these gates. Why does this one?”
“Only big ships can do that. This is a small transport that can only comfortably carry fifty. The generators on it aren’t nearly powerful enough to open a gate, and even if they were, there are a lot of neophysics that make a larger zerodrive work far better-“
The Ambassador tapped one of the consoles. “What do the colors indicate?”
“Stop touching that! Everything is fine,” Urle snapped, resisting the urge to physically push Kell’s hand away. He was being reminded all too much of a child at this point.
“Ambassador, please return to your quarters. We’ll be making the jump in two minutes and it is important you occupy your quarters at that time.”
Kell’s look made it clear; he perceived the meaning behind Urle’s words. But evidently, he still accepted the request. Standing, the being floated off the bridge – at least now having the decency to act like he was in zero-g – and Urle breathed a sigh of relief.
Taking the ship to the zerogate, he signalled to the passengers to prepare.
The gate ahead of them was massive, its edges already beyond his view from the cockpit screens. The optimal width for them had been determined to be 3.2 kilometers, for reasons even he wasn’t certain of. Neophysics was more counterintuitive than classical or even quantum.
Experience had taught him the subtle differences between a ship jumping under its own power and using a gate, however. The gates offered a rougher ride, and he strapped himself in with the heavier safety straps. Hopefully even Kell would, or the being might find himself falling flat on his face.
Throttling the ship forward, the external cameras all dimmed just before he crossed the threshold. The sensation of falling, the gravitational jolt as they entered zerospace was rougher when using a gate, and he lurched forward in his seat.
As the sensors confirmed their successful entry, he flipped on the internal comm.
“We have entered zerospace. Next stop is Zerogate Relay 96 around Wagner 731, in 37 hours. All movement restrictions are lifted until then. Mind your heads.”
Unbuckling the safety straps, he sat for a moment. His connection to the ship’s internal systems showed him that Persis and Hannah were both playing Callagh’s Tower in their sleeping bags. They averaged playing it for 53 minutes at a sitting, and had only been playing for a few at this point, so they were likely to continue being distracted for some time. He didn’t need to check on or bother them, as their vitals all showed perfectly normal for girls their ages.
The idea of a nap was entering into his mind when the door to the cockpit opened, and Brooks drifted in.
“Captain,” he said, sitting up straighter.
“We’re off-duty until we get to Begonia,” Brooks said, smiling lightly. “So it’s just ‘Ian’, Zach.”
At ease, Zach resumed his slumping. “I won’t argue it.”
Brooks held a tablet, scanning over data as he absently pulled himself into the seat Kell had recently vacated. A look of surprise went over his face as he sat.
“The chair is cold,” he said.
“Kell was just sitting there.”
Considering that a moment, Brooks shrugged it off and strapped down.
“We have very little information on this supposed Cerebral Reader,” he said. “Not even a name. Just that there is a report of such an individual in this colony.”
Other Terrestrial 